Duterte declares state of calamity in entire Luzon
By Alexandra Kate Ramirez
President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire island of Luzon under a state of calamity on Tuesday, November 17, heeding the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). The Philippines’ top disaster agency advised the declaration following the onslaught of the three successive typhoons that ravaged the country, claiming a total of 120 lives and causing ₱10.5 billion worth of damage to agriculture.
About the declaration
In a televised address on Tuesday night, Duterte announced that he already signed the proclamation on the Luzon-wide calamity declaration as recommended by the NDRRMC. The NDRRMC is mandated to oversee the country’s status of disaster preparedness, prevention, mitigation, and rehabilitation measures that are being undertaken by the government as well as the private sector.
Ensuring the council’s emergency meeting on Monday, NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad said in a statement that all members of the council agreed on giving the recommendation to the President in order to address the impacts of typhoons Quinta, Rolly, and Ulysses over the past weeks.
“It was also agreed during the meeting to convene a technical working group of the joint prevention, mitigation, and preparedness clusters of the NDRRMC to assess the current dam management,” said Jalad.
Meanwhile, the implementation of automatic price control under a state of calamity was also discussed. According to Section 6 of the Republic Act 7581, there shall be no price increase among basic commodities as prices will automatically be frozen. In case the current price of any basic good is still expensive, the President may impose a lower price if recommended.
Following the declaration, it should be expected that relief and rehabilitation funds will be tapped, prices of basic commodities will be controlled, and interest-free loans will be granted.
The havoc in Luzon
Prior to the declaration, several cities and provinces in Luzon were already placed under a state of calamity to allow the government to tap into calamity funds for accelerated relief and rehabilitation efforts. In the wake of recent typhoons, the entire Luzon were left in utmost devastation as lives were lost and families were displaced.
Typhoon Quinta left 22 people dead after exiting the country on October 3. It was immediately followed by Super Typhoon Rolly, declared as the world’s strongest typhoon in 2020, which killed a total of 25 people as it lashed the Bicol region and Southern Luzon on Nov. 2.
Furthermore, Typhoon Ulysses affected 727,738 families across Regions I, II, III, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, V, NCR, and CAR. It was also dubbed as the deadliest tropical cyclone to hit the country this year after claiming the lives of 73 individuals.
As Ulysses triggered catastrophic floods in the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela, several residents blamed the Magat Dam water release amid the heavy rainfall. The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) subsequently said on Sunday, Nov. 15, that the discharge protocols were observed in order to prevent the overspill and breakage of the dam that would ultimately result in further devastation.
Meanwhile, reports from the Department of Agriculture (DA) confirmed that the damage incurred by the agricultural sector amounted to ₱10.5 billion as the three major typhoons wreaked havoc in Luzon.
Yet another task force
Duterte announced in a public address last Nov. 14 that he would create an inter-agency task force, which is tasked to streamline the government’s disaster response and expedite its rehabilitation efforts.
In a press briefing on Monday, Roque spent much of his time trying to fend off criticisms that the ‘Build Back Better task force’ is a mere redundant entity given the existence of the NDRRMC. Much like the agencies represented in the NDRRMC, the newly-formed task force will also feature the DA, NIA, Department of Public Works and Highways, National Housing Authority, and Department of Budget and Management.
“Obviously, the council (NDRRMC) is not enough. I guess the task force is really to stress that someone needs to be in charge and the person in charge is the Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, with the full assistance of the Cabinet,” Roque stated.
Quite the contrary, in all of his briefings on the recent typhoons, the President constantly applauded the national government as well as Jalad for his excellent job.
Amid Duterte’s growing penchant for launching task forces as in the wake of pressing issues, Vice President Leni Robredo, who actively brought aid to the affected areas in Luzon, said that an additional body for disaster response would only create more levels of bureaucracy.
“It is worth studying but let’s assess if it’s really needed. What are the shortcomings of the present set-up that requires us to make another department,” Robredo explained.
